Automatically-deformable balloon.



A. RANZA.

AUTOMATICALLY DEFORMABLE BALLOON.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 190B.

)NVENTOR) AT'H LI 0 RANZA,

ATTO RN EYS.

Patented July 2, 1912.

lllll I WITNESSES;

n'r'rrnro name, or ROME, ITALY.

AUTOMATICALLY-DEFORMABLE BALLOON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 14, 1908.

Serial No. 426,942.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, A'r'rrnro RANZA, engineer, of 41 Via della Vite, Rome, Italy, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Automatically-Deformable Balloons, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanyin drawings, formi a part of the same.

the net suspension types, used up to the present, the net surrounds only the upper part of the balloon, leavin the lower part uncovered and the form 0 said lower part undergoes the continuous changes in accordance to the fluctuations of the volume of the gas, and when the balloon is completely filled up itbecomes stretched out while its resistance is not increased by the action of the net, as it happens in the upper hemisphere. Moreover the deformation of the lower hemisphere causes various inconveniences especially when the balloon is exposed to a wind of a certain intensity.

The object of this invention is a disposition in the suspension which allows the distribution of the pressure of the net upon both the hemispheres, viz, upon the whole surface of the balloon, whatever may be the actual degree of its distention. By the adoption of such a system of suspension it is possible to reduce the strain in the gas bag and also to prevent the inconveniences of the wind upon the part of the balloon not distended because, as it will be seen hereinafter, all parts of the envelop remain constantly distended.

The use of this type ofballoon is particularly advantageous whenever recording apparatus must be carried up or passengers are to be transferred up or down hill along conveniently inclined ropes, between points at considerable differences of height, because this type of balloon allows the variation of the volume depending upon the variations of the altitude, without becoming flaccid.

In the annexed drawings Figures 1 and 2.

l is totally inclosed within the net 2 formed b ropes preferably arranged along the meri ians and the parallels. At the top the'net is fastened to a ring 3- lying externally on the envelop and surroundlng the upper'opening of a tube '4- which extends through the whole height of the envelop. Inside said tube passes the ca- Patented July 2, 1912..

ble 5 to which the balloon is moored or Evidently when the volume of the gas de- I creases, the cable 5 pulls downward the ring 3-- and reduces the volume of the envelop thus keeping both the upper and the lower parts of the balloon distended. The result is that the wind cannot have a great action as it cannot cause a deformation of the lower part, still distended, and thus a stability is obtained which it is not possible to secure by the usual system of fastening. The stability can still be increased by means of a crown 6 formed by a circular zone or by radial sectors kept in the proper place by means of stay wires 7 which join all together at the point 8 of the cable. Thus is obtained a stability which compares well with the stability of a kite.

Whenever the balloon is of a small volume it may be convenientto omit the net and to connect the mooring cable 5 to a ring or crown made of strong fabric stitched to the stuff of the envelop on the interior side of the upper hemisphere, as it may be seen, for instance, in Fig. 2, or even to use, instead of the free net, ropes or linen strips stitched or glued to the surface of the envelop. Fig. 2 shows also how instead of the interior tube 4 the envelop may be provided with an extensible bellow-like tube 9 and the lower end -10 of which is hermetically stuck to cable -5 which, then, leads as usual to the ring 3 In all the forms of construction described above the pressure of the net. on the envelop is automatically controlled and maintained 2 by the variations of volume of the gas, but in the case of balloons of a considerable volume, intended to carry up passengers it 5 may be advantageous'to have a means to 5 control the gas pressure at will according to circumstances. To obtain this result it; will sufiice to provide the net with a row of suspension ropes 12 extending to one of g the blocks -13 of a tackle the other block of which is fixed to the cable 5 so that the tension rope -1G-- will be under the hand of the aeronauts, who consequently can, by regulating the tension of the ropes 3 of the tackle, make the crown of ropes -12- support a portion of the load of the j cable 5 of which they may deem cont venient to discharge the lower hemisphere of the balloon.

I claim 1. In balloons of variable capacity the combination of a reefing net completely sur- 1 rounding the balloon, a tube provided in the interior of the balloon, a connecting ring, where the net is fastened, resting on the; top of the balloon around the upper opening of the diametral tube, a cable passingf through said tube and fixed at the upper; end to the ring and having its remaining. portion free from connection with the lower hemisphere.

2. In balloons of Variable capacity the; combination of a reefing net completely sur- 1 rounding the balloon, a tube provided in; the interior of the balloon, a connecting ring where the net is fastened resting on the top of the balloon, around the upper opening of the diametral tube; a mooring cable passing through said tube and fastened at one end to the ring, a circular steadying crown fastened around the lower hemisphere of the balloon, in order to increase the stability against the action of the wind, and stay wires fastened to the edge of-the crown and joining together in a point connected to the mooring cable.

3. In balloons of variable capacity the con'ibination of a reefing net completely surrounding the balloon; a tube provided in the interior of the balloon; a connecting ring,

resting on the top of the balloon around the upper opening of the tube; a mooring cable passing through said tube and fastened at one end to the ring; a circular steadying crown fastened to the not around the lower hemisphere of the balloon; stay wires fastened to the edge of the crown and joining combination of a reefing net completel surrounding the balloon; a tube provided 1n the interior of the balloons; a connecting ring resting on the top of the balloon around the upper opening of the diametrical tube, a reefing cable passing through said tube and fastened at its upper 'end to the ring; a mooring cable adapted to be fastened at its lower end to the ground; a circular steadying crown fastened to the net around the lower hemisphere of the balloon; stay wires fastened to the lower hemisphere of the balloon and joining together in a suspension ring; a tackle, the tensioning rope of which ends within the car, and suitable connections between the car, the suspension ring, the mooring cable, the reefing cable and the blocks of the tackle, so that the passengers may control at will the pressure of the net on thelower hemisphere of the balloon.

'ATTILIO RANZA \Vit-nesses A. 'RAGG, R. SoEvoLA. 

